Russia's Latest version of Sukhoi

The latest version of Russia's Sukhoi-35 fighter jet wowed crowds with gravity-defying demonstrations at the Paris Air Show as the aircraft made its first appearance outside Russia.

Russia is the only country to fly it for now, having ordered 48 copies, but Moscow is seeking to to sell it to Brazil, China and India. Text: AFP Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter aircraft takes part in a flying display, during the 50th Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 20, 2013. The air show runs from June 17 to 23.

In the cockpit was test pilot Sergei Bogdan, who helped to develop and was the first to fly five years ago. "I have worked on the Su-35 from the beginning," he said in Russian to a small group of reporters. "From the first drawings I was associated with engineers in the 'flying group' as the plane's first test pilot." Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter with special vectored thrust jet engines takes part in a flying display, two days before the Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 15, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

The twin-engine, twin-tail plane has a massive, flowing form typical of Russian military aircraft, and performs aerial manoeuvres that are true show-stoppers. The version shown at the Paris Air Show, in its first appearance outside Russia, is a 4++ generation aircraft that has been dubbed "Flanker Plus" by NATO forces. Photo: Reuters

Engineers check specials vectored thrust jet engines of a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter after a flying display, two days before the Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 15, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

It is a multi-role combat jet that weighs 17 tonnes and can fly at up to 2,500 km/h (1,500 mph) at high altitudes and at up to 1,400 km/h (870 mph) at low altitude, with a ceiling of 18,000 metres (59,000 feet).

The climb rate is 18,000 metres/minute and its range of 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) can be extended to 6,500 kilometres (4,000 miles) with aerial refuelling. Photo: Reuters

In Pic: An engineer checks specials vectored thrust jet engines of a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter after a flying display, two days before the Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 15, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

Each aerial demonstration of the plane is an event, with Bogdan pushing it to the limit in a deafening roar. Once it gets off the ground, the jet climbs nearly straight up and begins a series of pirouettes, nose-dives and loopings as spectators watch with wide eyes. Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter is taxied for a flying display, during the opening of the 50th Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 17, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

Bogdan notes that the air show acrobatics bear no resemblance to aerial combat, but emphasises that they demonstrate the plane's capabilities. "The important thing is that they display the plane's safety and stability," he said.

"We fly at low altitude so the public can see the figures, but also to allow specialists to assess the plane's capacities, and see how it reacts to the manoeuvres and acrobatics that we subject it to. Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter takes off during a flying display, two days before the Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 15, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

The high-point is a move dubbed Pugachev's Cobra, when the pilot seems to suspend the plane in mid-air before kicking in the afterburners and tearing off into the clouds. He then lets it fall like a leaf before pulling out to swirl into another manoeuvre. Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Sukhoi SU-35 fighter takes off during a flying display, one day before the 50th Paris Air Show, at the Le Bourget airport near Paris, June 16, 2013. The Paris Air Show runs from June 17 to 23.

The Sukhoi is also a powerful weapons platform, capable of delivering eight tonnes of ordinance from 14 attachment points. That is also very important for the pilot because the Su-35 accelerates and gets back on track very quickly and stays stable and manoeuvrable no matter what kind of situation you put it in. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

In Pic: The pilot of a Russian-made Sukhoi SU-35 military jet presents his flying display during a preparation at Le Bourget on June 16, 2013 on the eve of the opening of the International Paris Air show.

"That is this aircraft's main quality," said Bogdan, who has logged 4,900 flight hours on 55 different kinds or versions of planes. Other qualities remain to be discovered however, because as the doting pilot remarked, a plane is like "a child that you help discover its potential by taking it by the hand." Photo: Reuters

In Pic: A Su-35 fighter lands during an air show dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Russia's Air Force at Zhukovsky, outside Moscow August 12, 2012.